In light of the unfortunate news that Cade Cunningham will be missing significant time due to a collapsed lung, most fans and pundits have started debating on whether the 65-game rule still makes sense. It has become increasingly difficult for these stars to get their well-deserved hardwares. Having said that, it seems like not a lot of people have been able to fully account for the reason why it was even enshrined in the first place — Joel Embiid.
No, Embiid himself did not place that highly divisive stipulation in the most recent CBA. But suffice to say that the Philadelphia 76ers superstar is probably one of the main reference points used by the Players Association and the league’s bran trust in coming up with the rule. After all, the former Most Valuable Player, through the years, has become the poster child of stars missing a huge chunk of the season due to injuries.
This 65-game rule set in just a couple of seasons ago during the 2023-24 campaign. To be eligible for the major awards and the All-NBA teams, a player must play for at least 65 outings, subject to the minimum threshold in actual minutes logged per contest. The rule has been perceived as too stringent, and has inadvertently caused an undesirable chain of events in the process.
Joel Embiid is lowkey responsible for the 65-game rule
Embiid has played more than 65 games in a single season just twice in his career — in the 2022-23 campaign and the 2023-24 circuit, which of course culminated in him finally getting the MVP trophy. In three of the seasons where he failed to go beyond the 65-game threshold, he has nevertheless been named to the All-NBA teams, even making the All -NBA and All-Defensive Teams.
That would not have been possible had the rule existed even a just a bit earlier. Now, people are starting to question the rationale behind the rule, especially since it has adversely affected the way awards are handed out, and everyone knows hos critical these accolades are when it comes to maximum contracts and other benefits.
Cunningham’s case is probably the best one to illustrate how baffling the condition is. He has led Detroit to the best record in the Eastern Conference, yet in view of his untimely absence, he is set to miss out on the required number of games played. In his place, someone who probably deserves to be in the second or third teams will have the chance to squeeze into the equation.
In this way, Joel Embiid might have just altered the course of NBA history without having to do anything. As the most striking paragon of missed games, people should definitely renaming the rule into the “Joel Embiid rule”.